West Indian legend Sir Vivian Richards, more commonly known as Master Blaster, has showered fulsome praise on Indian icon Virat Kohli. Sir Viv has placed Kohli among cricket’s pantheons, alongside Sachin Tendulkar. Richards has particularly praised Kohli for his exceptional mental strength, identifying it as the key factor that separates him from other top batters.
“There have been a whole host of talented individuals on show but to top them all, you cannot look past Virat Kohli. I am a huge fan of Virat, I have been for a long time, and he continues to show why he has to go down as one of the all-time greats, right up there with the likes of the great Sachin,” Richards wrote in his column on the ICC (International Cricket Council) official website.
“Virat is a go-getter and what sets him apart is his mental strength. He will have backed himself throughout, and on the occasions in the past in which I have chatted with him and we have discussed things, his mental strength has always been evident,” added Richards.
Kohli’s outstanding performance in the 2023 ICC World Cup has been noteworthy, amassing 543 runs in eight matches. More important, Kohli has consistently delivered impressive performances, recording fifty-plus scores in six out of eight innings during this World Cup, including two centuries against Bangladesh and South Africa.
Currently, he stands as India’s highest run-scorer and the third-highest overall in the tournament. Kohli will aim to reclaim the top spot as India faces the Netherlands in their final group match on Sunday (November 12).
For this generation of cricketers who have seen big hitters like Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock, Vivian Richards was a clinical big hitter. He would treat bowlers with impunity even in pristine Test cricket in an era when the West Indies were referred to as Calypso Charmers. Sadly, they did not qualify for the World Cup.